A method of detecting a dry/wet state of a thermistor bead comprises the steps of: generating a current waveform that transitions between first and second current levels; conducting the current waveform through the thermistor bead; measuring a voltage waveform across the thermistor bead in response to the current waveform; measuring a slope of the voltage waveform in response to the first and second current levels and generating a first signal indicative of the measured slope; differentiating the voltage waveform to produce a voltage pulse representative of a transition of the voltage waveform from one voltage potential to another and generating a second signal indicative of the polarity of the voltage pulse; and detecting the dry/wet state of the thermistor bead based on the first and second signals. Apparatus for embodying this detection method is also disclosed.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
Claim text for this patent isn't available yet.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 5, 2002
November 11, 2003
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.